Eagle Lake vs Foot Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Eagle Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Foot Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
Eagle Lake and Foot Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. Eagle Lake (A) is materially cleaner than Foot Lake (D). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Eagle Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Eagle Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft.
Foot Lake
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Eagle Lake | Foot Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | A (Excellent) | D (Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 6.9 ft | 2.3 ft |
| Phosphorus | 23 µg/L | 54.5 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7 µg/L | 20.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 67 ft | 24 ft |
| Surface Area | 849 acres | 503 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 17 | 15 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Eagle Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Foot Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 6.9 ft vs 2.3 ft. For fishing diversity, Eagle Lake also leads with 17 species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.